


The Hair Affair

by DawnsEternalLight



Series: Of Lightning and Scales [2]
Category: Batman (Comics), DCU (Comics)
Genre: Damian is a Dragon, Fantasy AU, Fluff, Gen, batfam fantasy au, dragon - Freeform, he just wanted to be warm, not tangled up, tangled hair
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-28
Updated: 2018-06-28
Packaged: 2019-05-29 16:49:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15077498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DawnsEternalLight/pseuds/DawnsEternalLight
Summary: As a dragon Damian likes to find warm places. One of his favorite places is snuggled on Dick's shoulders using his hair as a blanket. Usually things go smoothly. Sometimes things get a little tangled.A story in the Of Lightning and Scales AU.





	The Hair Affair

Dick was settled on a windowsill of his room just starting a new book when the familiar rustle of small leathery wings alerted him that Damian had come in. It was still early and the castle had yet to warm up with the sun and heat of the day, so it was little surprise that Damian was already hunting him down. His youngest brother hated the cold and if he had to be up, he liked to find warmth, particularly the warmth of being close to another person.

Damian muttered a good morning as he climbed the fabric covering the sill Dick was sitting on, his little claws gripping lightly so he didn’t tear or pull it. Dick had learned long ago not to try and help his brother when he was still sleepy and in his dragon form, he was too likely to be snapped at. So he let his book close against his thumb, keeping his place, and watched as Damian reached the stone, stretching.

“What are you reading already?” Damian asked, starting his climb up Dick’s arm to take his usual perch on his shoulder.

“Just something Cass wanted me to look at.” Dick answered as he felt his brother’s weight settled on his left shoulder. He tilted the book so Damian could read the cover.

“Tt. A romance?” Damian asked.

He felt the light swish of Damian’s tail, loosely wrapping around his neck towards his other shoulder, pushing his hair to expose part of his skin to the chilled spring air. Dick reached up and pushed the hair back in place.

“Cass wanted to discuss it with someone and Stephanie refused.” Dick told him.

“For once Brown has good taste.” Damian said.

Dick rolled his eyes, “I am only a few pages in if you want me to restart.”

Damian agreed, like Dick knew he would, and he turned back to the first page. They read silently. Damian tapped at Dick’s shoulder when he was ready for him to turn the pages, and by then Dick was usually caught up as well.

It was quiet and peaceful. Damian’s warmth rested against Dick’s shoulders easing tension from them. Having him close was like having his own personal heated blanket or like dipping into hot springs. It was pleasant and never too hot unless Dick was already warm.

Damian shifted when the clouds covered the sun and cool air blew against them. He snuggled closer, his tail swishing at Dick’s hair and one back leg reached out to pull some strands close.

“My hair is not a blanket you know.” Dick told him, good naturedly, “We could get one if you’re chilly.”

Damian hummed, his chest vibrating against Dick’s shoulder, “It is fine, the day will warm soon enough.”

“And until then you have me right?” Dick teased.

“If you do not want me here--” Damian said and started to move to climb off his shoulders.

Dick reached up to stop him, hand pressing against his brother’s side through his hair, “I am just teasing you, Dames.”

Damian huffed, blowing white smoke against his neck, and moved to settle back on his shoulder, but one of his claws got stuck in Dick’s tunic and he tripped, slipping. His back legs fell down Dick’s back and he scrambled to find his footing again. His claws skittered across Dick’s shoulder blades tickling him.

Dick laughed, bending forward as the tickles teased giggles out of him, then rocked back again, shaking Damian. His brother yelped, and gripped his tunic tighter before hissing, “Stop it, Richard. I cannot get back up.”

“I’m sorry.” Dick gasped, “You’re just...haha... I’m ticklish there.”

He reached back to help push Damian up and gripped a clump of hair and dragon, moving both up to settle on his shoulder. Damian lurched forward and gripped at his sleeve before adjusting his back legs. When he did Dick’s hair pulled and he gasped.

“Damian hold on, your a bit tangled.”

Damian stilled, then turned his body to find the source of the tangle. His leg jerked and so did Dick’s hair again, pulling tightly against his head. Dick reached back to hold Damian’s back leg.

“Hold on. Let’s go look at this in a mirror.” he said.

“I can manage it if you will release me.” Damian grumbled.

“No way, kiddo. You might be all wrapped up but it’s my scalp taking the beating.” Dick said, shifting the book off his lap then standing.

He stepped over to the full mirror in his room and had to stop a bubble of laughter. Damian glared out at him from what looked like a nest of black hair. It was looped around his arms and claws. When Dick turned he could see one of Damian’s wings pulled awkwardly into part of the hair. Even his tail seemed stuck.

“I’m sorry.” he said, his voice half a laugh, “Oh man, that is bad. Damian how did this even happen?”

“You caught me when you lifted me.” He hissed, “I believe I can work it out.” He tried to swish his tail but only tugged the hair a bit.

“Or not.” Dick said, raising an eyebrow at him in the mirror. “Want me to give it a shot?”

Damian huffed at him, fogging the mirror.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” Dick said, reaching back with both hands to work on the knotted hair.

He picked at it for a bit, trying his best not to pinch his brother or grab dragon instead of hair. It felt like some of the knots were only getting worse, and once when he pulled a piece of hair Damian was the one to yelp as Dick also pulled his wing back.

“You know.” he said dropping his arms to cross them, “My hair is almost impossible to mess up.”

“I did not mess it up.” Damian replied.

Dick hummed, “I’d say it was a team effort. Either way, I think we need a pro.”

Damian shifted, trying to pull away again, “We are not leaving this room.”

“Then you are going to be stuck in my hair forever.” Dick said.

“I am fine with that.”

Dick rolled his eyes again, “It’ll just be Bruce. I can, I dunno throw a blanket over you until we get to him.”

Damian opened his mouth to protest but Dick was already turning away from the mirror to root around the room for something suitable to hide his brother with. He pulled a blanket off the bed and wrapped it around himself, tugging it over his head.

Damian’s argument of “No, Richard do not--” was cut off as the blanket muffled him.

He thrashed for a second pulling Dick’s hair, until Dick snapped, “Stop, you’ll only make it worse.”

The thrashing ceased and Dick snatched up a hairbrush before hurrying from his room. It took a few awkward questions to locate his dad, but Dick eventually found him in his private study. Bruce raised an eyebrow at him as he came in but didn’t comment.

“We have a small problem.” Dick said by way of hello, before tugging the blanket off.

Damian huffed and straightened as much as his predicament could allow, his head flopping irritatedly over Dick’s shoulder.

“Hello, Father.” he said.

Bruce made a sound somewhere between a snort and a laugh that sounded a little bit like he was choking. He put a hand to his mouth and held the other one up while his chest jerked and he made a second choking noise.

Dick probably should have given him a better warning before he’d pulled the blanket off, but the damage was done. Bruce let his face drop into his hands, his shoulders shaking for a moment before his back rose as he sucked in a lungful of air.

He looked back up at them and cleared his throat, “How did this happen?”

“My foolish kumquat of a brother thought it would be a good idea to tangle me.” Damian told him.

“Damian slipped and I tried to help him up.” Dick explained, turning his head to look at his grumpy brother.

Damian rolled his eyes, “The point is, I am stuck and would like to be free from this imbecile’s hair.”

“Hey.” Dick said, poking Damian’s head, “Not nice.” Steam brushed across his hand in warning and Dick took the hint, dropping his arm. He didn’t want to add dragon bite to his list of problems.

Bruce waved them over, “Take a seat, I will have to go find a brush.”

Dick waved his as he sat in one of the chairs at Bruce’s desk. Bruce took it from him, stepping behind him. He huffed another laugh, and set the brush down before reaching for Dick’s hair. Dick felt Damian squirm as Bruce’s fingers brushed his back.

“This is unbelievable.” Bruce muttered, tugging at a knot.

Dick tilted his head back to ease the pressure on his scalp, but he couldn’t move it too far with Damian in the way. His brother grumbled and tried to shift so Dick could move, but Bruce stopped them with a hand.

“You’ll tighten the knot again, hold on.”

The pressure finally eased up and Bruce’s hands moved to a different spot.

“How in half an hour you managed this when I couldn’t even get your hair to look windblown as a kid--” Bruce muttered as he worked.

Dick grinned, “Maybe Damian’s magic cancelled out my hair’s.”

“Ridiculous.” Damian said, “Your hair is not magic.”

“My hair is magic.” Dick said, at the same time as Bruce’s voice added, “Dick’s hair is magic.”

Damian grumbled. Then after a moment added, “Well I do not see how anything I did could cancel that out. I do not walk with a layer of magic over me.”

Bruce pulled another bit of hair and both Dick and Damian yelped in unison.

“Sorry.” he said, “But I do wonder. You change by way of magic right? Perhaps it is part of your being instead of something you invoke to change.”

“Maybe that nullified my hair’s magic after so much contact with it. You’re always snuggling in it.” Dick added.

“I am not.” Damian’s tone was slightly affronted. “But perhaps you are correct, Father. Unless you are both lying to me.”

In truth, Dick wasn’t sure. His hair did grow faster than a human’s, and it was difficult to tangle or mess up, those things were facts. If that was because of magic or his fey or elven blood Dick wasn’t sure. Maybe it was a little of everything.

“We could cut it.” he mused, “If Damian’s too tightly stuck.”

His brother’s response was instant, “No.” the word was so forceful a little smoke came out with it, and Dick felt his back heat up as Damian did. “Father, do not do that.”

“Dames, it’s fine.”

Damian shook his head and Bruce made a sound of protest as hair shifted.

“It is not. I refuse to allow your hair to be cut because of me. It is a part of your culture. I will not take that from you.”

There was something in Damian’s tone that made Dick think this was more important to him than it should have been, some note of worry or fear. As if it didn’t have so much to do with Dick himself, but more with Damian. Dick made a note to remember to sit Damian down and talk to him about it later, when he didn’t have to answer both Dick and Bruce’s questions.

His brother was sensitive about his own culture, as shrouded as it was Dick only knew what Damian told him about the dragons, and what the rumors were. He tried to seperate the two from each other since so much of what he’d heard was tainted by fear. There were good parts of Damian’s upbringing so far that he didn’t want to tarnish, and he had a feeling his brother didn’t want to lose them in assimilating into his father’s home.

“I think I should be able to manage it without causing permanent damage to the hair or either of you.” Bruce told him. “But you both need to stop moving.”

They consented both Dick and Damian stilling for a while as Bruce picked at the knots in Dick’s hair. Dick felt Damian squirm again, and heard Bruce mutter another apology as he worked on what must have been Damian’s wing. It kept bumping the back of his head. Then at last, it was free and Dick felt it shift once more while Damian folded it against his back. His brother sighed and Dick felt a twinge of pity for him. It couldn’t be fun to have your wing pulled awkwardly for over half an hour. He’d offer Damian a massage later to work out any tightness built from this misadventure.

After what felt like an eternity, and much hair pulling, Damian’s weight and warmth was lifted from Dick’s back, leaving it cold and strangely light. He turned in his chair to find Bruce cradling a less grumpy Damian in his arms. His brother shifted, but seemed content to rest his chin on Bruce’s forearm.

“Thanks, B.” Dick smiled.

Bruce nodded at him, “If you turn back around I”ll brush it out and work out any lingering tangles. Damian, I’m fairly sure my hair won’t be a threat if you want to watch from my shoulders.”

Bruce lifted him and deposited him on one shoulder. It was so broad Damian fit comfortably there, his tail the only thing stretching further around Bruce’s neck. He looked so much smaller on Bruce than he had on Dick’s shoulders. He yawned and snuggled closer to Bruce’s neck.

“Hu.” Bruce said, glancing down at him, “You’re warm.”

“Of course I am.” Damian said opening his eyes to look up, “It does not bother you, does it?”

“No, I don’t know why I wasn’t expecting it. It’s just different than holding you.”

He picked the brush back up and motioned for Dick to turn again. He did so and soon felt the gentle pull of the bristles through his hair.

“I was surprised too.” Dick said, “The first time he climbed up, Damian’s stomach is warmer than his back.”

“The scales are different there, thinner. You are closer to my fire as well.” Damian said, and Dick could hear a note of something unsure in his voice. “I could move if it is uncomfortable.”

Bruce pulled the brush through Dick’s hair again, “On the contrary, it’s pleasant. You might consider switching shoulders, though. I’ve got a knot on the other one that would benefit from some warmth.”

Dick heard the gentle rustle of wings as Damian shifted, then, “Is this better?”

“That’s wonderful. Like a stone warmed by the fire.”

Dick turned his head to catch Damian’s look of happiness at those words, “It is the least I could do.” he muttered shifting to rest his head against folded arms.

Bruce finished brushing out Dick’s hair and started braiding it. His fingers gently pulled through the strands, and expertly moved each piece into its proper place. Dick loved the feeling of Bruce braiding his hair. And of Bruce brushing his hair. Honestly he loved it when Bruce did anything with his hair.

It always brought back the best memories of being small and tucked into his lap while Bruce fumbled to figure out how to pull it back. Or of the times he’d done it when Dick needed someone close after a scare or bad night. It was soothing and relaxing, and made him feel closer with Bruce than just about anything.

“Done.” Bruce said, tying off the braid with a bit of twine.

Dick stood and stretched, before running his fingers along the now silky braid. He smiled, “Perfect as always.”

Bruce handed him the brush back, “Try not to get it messed up again.” he said, the side of his mouth quirking, “But if you manage to get another dragon stuck in your hair let me know.”

“I do not intend on becoming entrapped in Richard’s hair again.” Damian said.

Bruce hummed and raised his eye at Damian, "What if I showed you how to braid? Then you could avoid it in the future." 

"Tt. I already know how to braid." Damian paused, "However, I do not know the style you've created here, perhaps you could show me this technique." 

Bruce glanced at Dick who shrugged, “I’ll never say no to you braiding my hair.”

He sat back down and let Bruce tease his hair out of the braid, then listened as his dad carefully began to show Damian how to do it, enjoying the way their voices washed over him and happy to be lucky enough to have them both.


End file.
